Brice Russ, Tuesday, 6-18-13 June 19, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: Apollo 11, April 12, Brice Russ, Curiosity, global space party, ISS, moon landings, space burlesque show, Yuri Gagarin, Yuri's Night
add a comment
Brice Russ, Tuesday, 6-18-13
Your Amazon purchases can help support The Space Show/OGLF. See http://www.onegiantleapfoundation.orgamazon.htm.
Guest: Brice Russ. Topics: Yuri’s Night 2013 and suggestions for the 2014 global space party. Please direct all comments and questions regarding Space Show programs/guest(s) to the Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments and questions should be relevant to the specific Space Show program. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are a violation of our copyright and are not permitted without prior written consent, even if for your own use. We do not permit the commercial use of Space Show programs or any part thereof, nor do we permit editing, YouTube clips, or clips placed on other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted, but the quote must be cited or referenced using the proper citation format. Contact The Space Show for further information. In addition, please remember that your Amazon purchases can help support The Space Show/OGLF. See http://www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm.
We welcomed Brice Russ to the program for a one hour Yuri’s Night 2013 wrap up discussion. For more information, visit their main website, http://yurisnight.net. During our hour long discussion with Brice, we talked about Yuri’s Night, its history, goals, and we compared the 2013 year which just ended to earlier years. For 2013, we learned that there were over 350 parties worldwide in 57 countries. This was about 100 more than last year. We learned that there was a Yuri’s Night event from the ISS and also Curiosity on Mars! Some of the parties drew several thousand people, we talked about the big party in Los Angeles at the California Science Center under Space Shuttle Endeavour. Other specifically mentioned parties included the one at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, the party in Reno, and the Washington, DC “Space Burlesque Show” which was part of Yuri’s Night. Listeners sent in many email questions and suggestions. They wanted to know about parties for young school age kids, fraternity or sorority parties on college campuses, even parties at military basis or on naval ships at sea. Brice also took us through the timeline for the 2014 Yuri’s Night parties, website registration, volunteering to help out, and more. During our discussion, Brice suggested several related Yuri’s Night websites and their new newsletter which you can sign up for if interested. Most of these additional sites can be accessed through their main website above but if you want to visit one of the other sites & don’t see the link for it, just use the direct URL Brice provided on air. One listener asked Brice what other space event in addition to Yuri’s Night he would want to celebrate. Both Brice and I said the Apollo 11 flight and our Moon program. Brice used the opportunity to talk about how Yuri’s Night supports other space events and programs. When asked if the Yuri’s Night organization supported any specific space policy, the answer was no other than human spaceflight. Toward the end of our segment, I asked Brice what seemed to work regarding space education outreach. You don’t want to miss his response to this question. After our hour with Brice ended, I came back for a very short period to go over the future Space Show schedule and to make a few announcements including our Amazon announcement.
Please post your comments/questions for Brice Russ on The Space Show blog per the above URL. You can email Brice Russ at rbruss@yurisnight.net.
The John Batchelor Hotel Mars Show, Wednesday, 6-5-13 June 6, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: : John Batchelor, Curiosity, ESA ATV, Federal News Radio, Francis Rose, Hubble Space Telescope, John Batchelor Hotel Mars, JPL, Mars, Mt. Sharp., NASA, William (Bill) Harwood
add a comment
The John Batchelor Hotel Mars Show, Wednesday, 6-5-13
Guests: John Batchelor, William (Bill) Harwood, Francis Rose, Dr. David Livingston: Topics: Curiosity, HST, ISS & more. You are invited to comment, ask questions, and discuss the Space Show program/guest(s) on the Space Show blog,
http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com
. Comments, questions, and any discussion must be relevant and applicable to Space Show programming. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are not permitted without prior written consent from The Space Show (even if for personal use) & are a violation of the Space Show copyright. We do not permit the commercial use of any Space Show program or part thereof, nor do we permit Space Show programs to be edited, placed on YouTube, or other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted in news articles, papers, academic & research work but must be cited or referenced in the proper citation format. Contact Dr. Livingston for questions about our copyright and trademark policies which we do enforce. This program is archived on The Space Show website, podcasting, and blog sites with permission from John Batchelor. Please visit the John Batchelor Show website for more information about this fine program, www.johnbatchelorshow.com.
During our 11 minute plus discussion with Bill Harwood, Francis Rose & John Batchelor, we received update on the Mars rover Curiosity, its near term exploration plants for getting to Mt. Sharp, and its success to date. We also talked about the successful ESA ATV mission to the ISS, then we switched to the ongoing success of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Bill talked about HST in detail, the possibility of an extended mission and more. We also talked about the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the possibility of the HST overlapping with some of the JWST mission.
Please post any comments/questions you might have on The Space Show blog. You can contact any of us through drspace@thespaceshow.com.
Frank Stratford, Friday, 5-17-13 May 18, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: " SpaceX, Bigelow Aerospace, billionaire investors, charity space model, commercial space success, commercial spaceflight, Curiosity, due diligence, failed mission consequences, Frank Stratford, human factors, human spaceflight to Mars., Inspiration Mars, markets, Mars Drive, Mars one, NASA, NASA spinoffs, private space companies, public/private partnerships, repeat customers., return on investment, revenue generation, space financing, space industry business models, space tourism, Stratolaunch
1 comment so far
Frank Stratford, Friday, 5-17-13
Guest: Frank Stratford. Topics: Commercial space and space travel business models and revenue generation. Please direct all comments and questions regarding Space Show programs/guest(s) to the Space Show blog,
http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com
. Comments and questions should be relevant to the specific Space Show program. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are a violation of our copyright and are not permitted without prior written consent, even if for your own use. We do not permit the commercial use of Space Show programs or any part thereof, nor do we permit editing, YouTube clips, or clips placed on other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted, but the quote must be cited or referenced using the proper citation format. Contact The Space Show for further information.
We welcomed Frank Stratford back to the program to discuss various commercial space business models, including nonspace revenue generating goals and objectives. Frank is the founder of MarsDrive so for more information, visit their website at www.marsdrive.com. During the first segment of our 1 hour 42 minute program, Frank introduced us to the topic in his April 22, 2013 Space Review article, “The Business of Space Travel” (www.thespacereview.com/article/2281/1). Frank talked about the need to generate nonspace revenue while building up the space company & space revenue R&D, activities, & markets. He cited SpaceX, Bigelow, & Blue Origins as examples. This led to a discussion about markets & financing, plus estimated costs for a human spaceflight mission to Mars. Frank compared the Mars One $6 billion estimate to his own estimate from his research to be $15 billion. Our first caller asked if big name investors associated with these early commercial space ventures created an expectation of success and may in fact turn out to not have been such a good idea. The detailed discussion included ROI, Stratolaunch and the revenue cycle gap from up front/early capital needs to revenue generation later on in the project’s cycle. We talked about the nonprofit or charity model and Inspiration Mars came to mind. I entered the discussion with comments about the need for repeat customers, a commercial space success to model, unrealistic assumptions, the lack of due diligence, and the difficulty in cost estimates, especially when the cost of getting to the destination (the Moon for example) is unknown at this time. Surrey Space & Technology was also brought up as an example of a good business to model.
In the second segment, our called pointed out a Moon & Back interview with Robert Bigelow in which our caller said Bob said he went into the r/e business to fund his space activities. Later, he email in additional comments suggesting that just because a space venture or idea is not funded does not mean it’s a bad idea or concept. He then advocated NASA support such as with COTS and Commercial Crew. Public/private partnerships were advocated as a good way to move forward with space development and exploration. Frank was then asked if a failed commercial project would hurt the industry. He said it was possible. Another question came in regarding paying attention to human factors and if solutions would be available at the same time as engineering technology, financing, and maybe markets. Frank said only if work moved forward on human factor solutions at the same time and at a similar rate. He also advocated his own organization working the problems. Listen to his reasoning behind this. As the program was nearing close, Frank was asked if Curiosity found proof of life in the past or now, even the most basic life, if it would make HSF to Mars more of a priority. Don’t miss Frank’s response. In summary, Frank talked about the need for continuous incremental development.
Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog above. If you want to email Frank Stratford, you can do so through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com.
Dr. William Farrand, Tuesday, 4-16-13 April 17, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: AI, CRISM, Curiosity, Dr. William Farrand, Earth imaging, Earth science, Europa, human spaceflight, hyperspectral remote sensing data, life on Mars, Mars, Mars atmospheric science, Mars colors., Maven, minerals, MRO, multispectral remote sensing data, NASA program oversight, Opportunity, Planetary Data System, robotics, sequestration, solar conjunction, Spirit, World View 2, World View 3
add a comment
Dr. William Farrand, Tuesday, 4-16-13
Guest: Dr. William Farrand. Topics: Mars orbiters and rovers, multispectral & hyperspectral remote sensing data. Please direct all comments and questions regarding Space Show programs/guest(s) to the Space Show blog,
http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com
. Comments and questions should be relevant to the specific Space Show program. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are a violation of our copyright and are not permitted without prior written consent, even if for your own use. We do not permit the commercial use of Space Show programs or any part thereof, nor do we permit editing, YouTube clips, or clips placed on other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted, but the quote must be cited or referenced using the proper citation format. Contact The Space Show for further information.
We welcomed Dr. William (Bill) Farrand to the program to discuss Martian multispectral & hyperspectral remote sensing data, the same for the Earth and throughout our solar system. To find out more about Dr. Farrand and his work, please visit his website at
http://farrviewconsulting.com
. In the first segment of our 90 minute discussion, we talked about the Mars solar conjunction, what the rover Opportunity is doing during the conjunction, Opportunity’s longevity, and why Spirit quit working. We also talked about Curiosity, then I asked our guest about both multispectral and hyperspectral remote sensing data for Mars. Dr. Farrand explained the imaging and the instruments in addition what we learn about Mars and other solar system objects through the remote sensing instruments providing us with this data. In fact, in response to a listener email, our guest talked about remote sensing data from the Messenger, Cassini, Dawn, and other missions. I asked our guest about minerals on Mars and throughout the solar system and how they might differ from the same mineral here on Earth. Doug sent in a question about trades with the science missions as compared to doing a human spaceflight mission. Our guest expanded the discussion to include very expensive science missions as opposed to more missions but lower in cost. Dr. Farrand talked about the proposed commercial space missions to the Moon, Mars, and for resource utilization. He also talked about the prize system as being a good way to further commercial exploration and development. A listener asked about getting timely data released to the public. Our guest directed us to the Planetary Data System which houses all the mission data, usually about six months after it was first obtained.
In our second segment, Doug asked that if Curiosity comes up empty, might that seriously put life on Mars into doubt? Don’t miss the response, it might surprise you. We then discussed Curiosity and what it was up to at this time plus more on Opportunity. As for future Mars missions, we talked about Maven and then our guest was asked if the current Mars science and robotic missions were designed to pave the way for an eventual human spaceflight mission to Mars. He said they were not so tightly linked but it’s a discussion you will want to hear. Our questions then changed to NASA economics and sequestration as our guest was asked for his thoughts on cutbacks, sequestration, moral, etc. I asked about Earth remote sensing and we talked about Landsat satellites and Landsat 8. Also the commercial World View 2 and the coming World View 3. We talked about buying commercial data as opposed to using government sourced data, plus AI, real time data acquisition and more. Near the end, Karen asked about the role the scientist plays in designing & developing the satellites & tools on board it.
Please post your comments and questions on The Space Show blog above. You can email our guest through his website or me using drspace@thespaceshow.com.
Michael Paul, Penn St. Lunar Lion, Monday, 3-25-13 March 26, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: " Mercury, " SpaceX, : Michael Paul, Curiosity, frugal space design, GLXP education outreach, GLXP film documentation, Google Lunar X-Prize, JWST, lunar communications, lunar hopper, lunar landing sites, Lunar Lion, lunar mission, Messenger, NASA, oversight & review., Penn State, sample return, secondary payloads
add a comment
Michael Paul, Penn St. Lunar Lion, Monday, 3-25-13
Guest: Michael Paul. Topics: The Penn State Google Lunar X Prize entry, the Lunar Lion. Please direct all comments and questions regarding Space Show programs/guest(s) to the Space Show blog,
http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com
. Comments and questions should be relevant to the specific Space Show program. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are a violation of our copyright and are not permitted without prior written consent, even if for your own use. We do not permit the commercial use of Space Show programs or any part thereof, nor do we permit editing, YouTube clips, or clips placed on other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted, but the quote must be cited or referenced using the proper citation format. Contact The Space Show for further information.
We welcomed Michael Paul to the program, the leader of the Penn State Google Lunar X Prize team, the Lunar Lion. For more information, visit their team website,
http://lunarlion.psu.edu
. Michael brings to the table his experience with NASA and the Applied Physics Lab at John Hopkins as he was the spacecraft systems engineer for the NASA Messenger mission. During the first segment of our 95 minute program, Michael talked about the Lunar Lion project. We discussed launch contracts and vehicles, secondary payloads, landing sites, hoppers as opposed to rovers, and what happens to the hardware at the end of the mission. We talked about the Penn State students working on the project and listeners and I asked questions about his experiences on Messenger being applied to a GLXP project. The listeners seemed to think this was a step or two down but listen to how Michael explained lessons learned and applications to the Lunar Lion project. We also talked about funding for their project and that if they win, the money goes to Penn State to endow further space related research and students. We also had a treat in the first segment in that Michael’s 10 year old son was with him. We invited him to the program and it appears we may have a future space guru in the making!
In the second segment, we talked about space education and general audience space enthusiasm and awareness given Michael’s public talks. He had some interesting comments and experiences to share with us. We also talked about potential regulations adversely impacting their mission, sample returns, lunar activities and such. Charles called to talk about up and downstream communications and the use of lasers. Spacecraft quality control was another issue along with the development of commercial tools for a much broader application than the Penn State GLXP entry. He also mentioned efficiency in spacecraft design and management but used the term, “a frugal approach.” He explained the difference between frugal and efficiency in terms of spacecraft design & management. As our program ended, we talked about thermal protection, radiation hardening, film and space subjects and topics. Our final topic was oversight and 3rd party eyes on their project for review & quality control.
Post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. You can email our guest through the Lunar Lion website or derspace@thespaceshow.com.
AIAA California Space Day, Monday, 2-25-13 February 25, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: AIAA, California aerospace industry, California Space Day, Curiosity, education outreach., Futron Space Competitive Index, NewSpace, sequestration
add a comment
AIAA California Space Day, Monday, 2-25-13
Guests: Duane Hyland, John Rose. Topics: AIAA California Space Day and the California aerospace industry. Please direct all comments and questions regarding Space Show programs/guest(s) to the Space Show blog,
http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com
. Comments and questions should be relevant to the specific Space Show program. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are a violation of our copyright and are not permitted without prior written consent, even if for your own use. We do not permit the commercial use of Space Show programs or any part thereof, nor do we permit editing, YouTube clips, or clips placed on other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted, but the quote must be cited or referenced using the proper citation format. Contact The Space Show for further information.
We welcomed back to the show Duane Hyland of AIAA and John Rose of Boeing to discuss the AIAA California Space Day scheduled for March 12-13, 2013 at the Capitol in Sacramento, CA. Our guests went over the agenda which includes models of Curiosity on the Capitol lawn and more, plus meetings with members of the California Assembly and Senate. If you want more information or are planning to attend, email Duane at duaneh@aiaa.org. The schedule is for panel discussions and other meetings on Tuesday, a Tuesday evening reception with members of the California legislature and their staffs, and then the following morning, Wednesday, March 13, we will visit legislative offices to talk California space and the AIAA focus. During our one hour program, Duane and John talked about the AIAA space agenda, both for their national lobby efforts with Congress as well as the state space day meetings. Listeners wanted to know if AIAA was only traditional aerospace or if it included NewSpace and the emerging space companies. Our guests had much to say about this as did I. We also talked about the importance of the California aerospace industry to the entire aerospace industry in the U.S. and even globally. We talked about disturbing trends in our national aerospace industry as well as in the California aerospace industry and the importance of events such as Space Day. We talked about sequestration and its potential impact on space, both for DOD and NASA. Our guests were asked about AIAA educational outreach to schools and different grades and near the end of our discussion, I asked if there was a process to undertake an outcome evaluation for the effectiveness of California Space Day and similar programs across the country.
If you have questions or comments, you can post them on The Space Show blog but if they pertain specifically to Space Day this year from March 12-13, please email Duane Hyland using duaneh@aiaa.org.
The John Batchelor Show “Hotel Mars,” Wednesday, 2-20-13 February 21, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: : John Batchelor, Curiosity, Dr. William Farrand, John Batchelor Hotel Mars, Mars rovers., Opportunity, Space Science Institute, Spirit
1 comment so far
The John Batchelor Show “Hotel Mars,” Wednesday, 2-20-13
Guests: John Batchelor, Dr. William Farrand, Dr. David Livingston: Topics: Ten years with the Mars rover Opportunity. You are invited to comment, ask questions, and discuss the Space Show program/guest(s) on the Space Show blog,
http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com
. Comments, questions, and any discussion must be relevant and applicable to Space Show programming. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are not permitted without prior written consent from The Space Show (even if for personal use) & are a violation of the Space Show copyright. We do not permit the commercial use of any Space Show program or part thereof, nor do we permit Space Show programs to be edited, placed on YouTube, or other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted in news articles, papers, academic & research work but must be cited or referenced in the proper citation format. Contact Dr. Livingston for questions about our copyright and trademark policies which we do enforce. This program is archived on The Space Show website, podcasting, and blog sites with permission from John Batchelor. Please visit the John Batchelor Show website for more information about this fine program, www.johnbatchelorshow.com.
During our 11 minute plus discussion with Dr. Farrand, we celebrated ten years of the Mars rover Opportunity exploring and doing science on the Red Planet. Opportunity has outlived its fellow rover, Spirit, has traveled about 22 miles and been engaged in some amazing discoveries and research. Our guest talked about the instruments that are still working, those that have quit, what it is finding and how it can compliment Curiosity. We also talked about the demise of Spirit and how that happened.
Please post any comments/questions you might have on The Space Show blog. You can contact any of us through drspace@thespaceshow.com.
The John Batchelor Show Hotel Mars, Wednesday, 1-2-13 January 3, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: " Mercury, : John Batchelor, Cassini, Curiosity, Dawn, Dr. David Livingston, ESA, Europa, Iris, Jupiter, LADEE, Mars, Maven, Messenger, Moon, NASA Planetary Missions, New Horizons, Saturn, science missions, solar system, Venus Express, Vesta
add a comment
The John Batchelor Show Hotel Mars, Wednesday, 1-2-13
Guests: John Batchelor, Dr. David Livingston: Topics: Our discussion is an overview of current and planned 2013 NASA planetary missions. You are invited to comment, ask questions, and discuss the Space Show program/guest(s) on the Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments, questions, and any discussion must be relevant and applicable to Space Show programming. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are not permitted without prior written consent from The Space Show (even if for personal use) & are a violation of the Space Show copyright. We do not permit the commercial use of any Space Show program or part thereof, nor do we permit Space Show programs to be edited, placed on YouTube, or other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted in news articles, papers, academic & research work but must be cited or referenced in the proper citation format. Contact Dr. Livingston for questions about our copyright and trademark policies which we do enforce. This program is archived on The Space Show website, podcasting, and blog sites with permission from John Batchelor. Please visit the John Batchelor Show website for more information about this fine program, http://www.johnbatchelorshow.com. During our 11 minute plus discussion, John and I provided a short overview of current, operating NASA planetary and science missions plus missions planned for 2013. We also mentioned a few ESA missions and talked about a future Europa mission.
Please post any comments/questions you might have on The Space Show blog. You can contact Mr. Batchelor through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com.
Tom Olson, Monday, 12-31-12 January 1, 2013
Posted by The Space Show in Uncategorized.Tags: " Neil Armstrong, " SpaceX, 3 D Printing, Arianne 5, Atlas 5, Boeing CST 100, Chinese Space Program, CubeSat, Curiosity, cyber warfare, Dragon, economics, EML2 missions, entrepreneurial space, ESA, Falcon 9. , Falcon Heavy, Golden Spike, human spaceflight, IAC in Beijing, ISDC, ISS, ITAR modification, Japanese space program, Jesco von Puttkamer, liability laws, lunar base, Mars one, Messenger, MSL, NASA budget, NewSpace Business Plan Competition, North Korean space program, NSS, on orbit fuel depots, Planetary Resources, Reda Anderson, Russian launchers, sequestration, SLS, space capsules, Space Review for 2012, space robotics, Space Settlement Act of 1988, space settlement policy, space shuttles, Spaceport America, Stratolaunch, suborbital flights, Tom Olson, ULA, Virgin, Warp Drive, winged spacecraft, XCOR
add a comment
Tom Olson, Monday, 12-31-12
2012 Year End Review & Analysis for Space Development
Guest: Tom Olson. Topics: The year 2012 is reviewed from the space perspective and we look forward to space development in 2013. Please direct all comments and questions regarding Space Show programs/guest(s) to the Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments and questions should be relevant to the specific Space Show program. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are a violation of our copyright and are not permitted without prior written consent, even if for your own use. We do not permit the commercial use of Space Show programs or any part thereof, nor do we permit editing, YouTube clips, or clips placed on other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted, but the quote must be cited or referenced using the proper citation format. Contact The Space Show for further information. We welcomed back Tom Olson for his annual Space Show year in review analysis with a look forward to 2013 for space development. We started our discussion by remembering those in our space community that are no longer with us. We specifically mentioned three dear friends though we know that others have also left us. Our program was dedicated to Neil Armstrong, Jesco von Puttkamer, and Reda Anderson. We certainly miss our friends but space development marches on like everything else in life. A few of the early issues Tom brought up in the 2012 annual overview of space included the Falcon 9 launches and Dragon missions. He also talked about ISDC and birthing of Dragon during the keynote by NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden. While on the subject of SpaceX and its mission to the ISS, Paul sent in a question asking if SpaceX dropping out of the Stratolauncher project indicated that perhaps they had “bitten off more than they could chew.” Tom and I have no inside information about SpaceX and Stratolaunch but we both thought that Paul’s comment was reasonable as SpaceX is certainly busy enough with game changing projects & technology. Cubesats were discussed given their rise in popularity and importance in 2012. It seems as if their potential is more than on the rise! Cubesat growth also cuts across many diverse space industry segments and niche markets. Bev asked about the future of 3-D printing and its potential impact on future human spaceflight (HSF). 3-D printing is certainly experiencing space industry growth & there will soon be a small 3-D printer on the ISS. Heavy lift came up and much was said about the Falcon Heavy and SLS, both looking back over 2012 & forward to 2013.
In our second segment, I asked if fuel depots would evolve from the Power Point & rhetoric stage to something more tangible in 2013. We talked about depots as many of the projects announced in 2012 use depot technology to enable their plan. Tom talked about warp drive becoming more possible due to the 2012 work of Dr. Sonny White. Dr. White will be a guest on The Space Show Friday, January 4, 2013. Tom next brought up NASA budget issues & possible cuts. He talked about science mission cuts, the JWST, and on the HSF side, SLS eating up much of the budget with commercial crew still needing funding. I asked Tom how he thought space advocacy made out during 2012. Mixed was a one word summary of this discussion. Next, we talked about space settlement being made part of the U.S. space policy in 2013. Tom went over the pros & cons surrounding this effort. Doug called in about space settlement & I referred him to earlier programs with Steve Wolfe who authored the Space Settlement Act of 1988 which is part of public law. Tom said space settlement was SLS dependent & that makes the potential policy controversial to many space enthusiasts since many oppose SLS. Tom said 2012 was a good year for new commercial space grandiose missions such as Golden Spike, Planetary Resources, Mars One, a lunar base, Shackleton Energy, even EML2 missions. He kept asking the questions regarding objectives, who pays, the reasons for the missions, and more. He said most of these missions rely on some form of large launcher, either the Falcon Heavy SLS. Tom talked about ITAR reform that has been signed by both houses of Congress & is applicable to the U.S. satellite industry. Human rating of the Atlas came up for a 2012 progress report, then Dave in San Antonio inquired about cyber warfare & the space industry in 2012 & the future. 2012 marked the year the space shuttles went on display in museums & Tom talked about the Russian space program investments for modernization over the coming decade. He also talked about other national space programs. Near the end of our program, we brought up the Spaceport America liability issue & the risks facing the New Mexico spaceport. Tom updated us for 2013 on the NewSpace Business Plan Competition & his work with the Exodus Group for space business consulting.
Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. You can email Tom through drspace@thespaceshow.com.
